The present invention relates to methods for making semiconductor devices, in particular, semiconductor devices that include metal gate electrodes.
MOS field-effect transistors with very thin gate dielectrics made from silicon dioxide may experience unacceptable gate leakage currents. Forming the gate dielectric from certain high dielectric constant (k) dielectric materials, instead of silicon dioxide, can reduce gate leakage. A high-k material has a dielectric constant greater than 10. Such a dielectric may not, however, be compatible with polysilicon. For that reason, it may be desirable to replace polysilicon based gate electrodes with metal gate electrodes for devices that include high-k gate dielectrics.
The optimal workfunction for a metal gate electrode will differ depending upon whether it is used to form an NMOS transistor or a PMOS transistor. When the same material is used to make metal gate electrodes for NMOS and PMOS transistors, the gate electrodes cannot demonstrate the desired workfunction for both types of devices. If a material is chosen to ensure an acceptable workfunction for an NMOS transistor's gate electrode, then the workfunction for the PMOS transistor's gate electrode will be unsatisfactory. Similarly, choosing a material that ensures an acceptable workfunction for the PMOS transistor's gate electrode will prevent the NMOS transistor's gate electrode from having a suitable workfunction. Selecting a midgap material (i.e., a material that gives the metal gate electrodes for NMOS and PMOS transistors an intermediate workfunction) will yield a suboptimal workfunction for both transistors.
It may be possible to address this problem by forming the NMOS transistor's metal gate electrode from a first material and the PMOS transistor's metal gate electrode from a second material. The first material may ensure an acceptable workfunction for the NMOS gate electrode, while the second material may ensure an acceptable workfunction for the PMOS gate electrode. Processes for forming such dual metal gate devices may, however, be complex and expensive.
Accordingly, there is a need for an improved process for making a semiconductor device that includes a metal gate electrode.
Features shown in these figures are not intended to be drawn to scale.